Mets legends Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling helping habitat

Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling, Mets SNY broadcasters, donned their hard hats for a day in Brooklyn, where they teamed up with Habitat for Humanity-NYC to assist in building affordable housing for residents in the Ocean Hill-Brownsville section of Brooklyn. Keith and Ron joined Citi Volunteers in the building of a four-story affordable condominium.

The project, when completed in 2012, will house 12 families. Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1967 by Millard and Linda Fuller in Americus, Georgia. They were later joined by President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn. Over the years, we've seen President Carter travel the world helping poor and under-developed nations build homes for those who neither had the funds to purchase materials or the experience to construct homes in their undeveloped countries. Darling and Hernandez spent the day in Brooklyn assisting any way they could.

The program chooses families based on their level of need and willingness to become partners, regardless of race or religion. The eventual habitat owners will not pay any interest on their non-mortgaged homes.

They also receive assistance in obtaining materials, which very often are donated by large companies. Hernandez and Darling are prime examples of the many professional athletes who make meaningful contributions to the communities in which they play and work.